Editor's Column on the Eye of the Horn of African Affairs

HAN Note: IGAD Breaking News (HAN) December 9th, 2005.

Somaliland

Ethiopia

Eritrea

Djibouti

Kenya

Somalia

Sudan

Uganda

HAN Editors: The Geeska Afrika Editorial Board and HAN Regional Reporters would like to appeal to our readers and observers to Facilitate regional commentary amicably   to act as an independent, objective and impartial body so the remaining days can bear the long awaited fruits. This is a self syndicated column.   If you wish to publish this column in your newspaper, magazine, journal or on your websites please ask HAN & Geeska Afrika Editor or click here: Syndicate

The Horn of Africa Regional Security Briefing 

Nairobi (HAN) December 9, 2005 - The HAN & Geeska Afrika Online, will provide you weekly brief security and terrorism statements about the Horn of Africa. The HAN & Geeska Afrika Online for sustainable Media and regional economic cooperation is currently accepting applications for a regional reporters and Outreach sources. This full-time positions, based in Addis Ababa, Hargeisa and Nairobi, is perfect for a candidate with superior reporting and organizational skills who is committed to the HAN & Geeska Afrika Online's reporting missions. Applications will be accepted through January 5, 2006, and the position will begin in February 2006. To apply, contact  at:    news@geeskaafrika.com.

The U.S. military presence in Djibouti is a useful illustration

Djibouti (HAN) December 9, 2005 -  The headquarters for Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa arrived on station to oversee operations in support of the global war on terrorism in the Horn of Africa region. their mission is to detect, disrupt and defeat terrorists who pose an imminent threat to coalition partners in the region. They also work with host nations to deny the reemergence of terrorist cells and activities by supporting international agencies working to enhance long-term stability for the region.

The U.S. military presence in Djibouti is a useful illustration. As part of the war on terrorism, U.S. troops now occupy Camp Lemonier, a previously abandoned encampment in this remote enclave on the Horn of Africa. For this operation, They defined the Horn of Africa region as the total airspace and land areas out to the high-water mark of Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and Yemen.

In the Horn of Africa, much of the task force's focus is on humanitarian projects like building schools, wells, and roads. It is not done out of altruism: The aim is to project a better image of the United States and make the ground less fertile for the seeds of Islamic radicalism. During another era, it was known as 'winning hearts and minds.' In April, when their Marine brethren were dropping bombs on Iraqis, marines in the Horn of Africa delivered 15,000 pairs of shoes to children in Djibouti city.

Somalia: The UN Security Council condemned a recent attempt on the life of Somalia's Interim Prime Minster Ali Geedi and denounced the use of force as a means of addressing political differences in the country's transitional federal institutions. UN arms embargo imposed on it, Somalia continue to witness huge amounts of weapons flowing into the country from the frontline states and neighbouring UAE, Yemen and shipments from former soviet regimes of eastern Europe. 

"The Security Council expresses its concern over recent reported military activities and hostile rhetoric and emphasizes that any resort to military force as a means for dealing with the current differences within the transitional federal institutions is unacceptable," said Andrey Denisov of Russia, who holds the Council's rotating presidency for last November. "The Council condemns in the strongest terms the assassination attempt on 6 November, against Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi in Mogadishu," he added.

HAN undercover reporters after briefing the Geeska Afrika Online Security watch desk on the situation in Somalia that "Southern Somali warlords who control the affairs of the cabital, Bosaso, Baladwayne and Kismayo are importing weapons and continuing to destabilise the security of country. Inside Mogadishu, Bossaso and southern cities and villeges, there are open markets where anyone can buy weapons."

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced the reconstitution of a sanctions monitoring group for Somalia following a directive from the Security Council. He added and told local newswires that the Council about the impasse in Somalia's transition government and stressed that only inclusive dialogue could move the country towards peace with all the Somali regional states and Mogadishu group. He also underscored the need for the support of the international community and the sub-regional group, IGAD, for the peace process in Somalia. 

IGAD, which comprises countries of the horn of Africa, has to agree at the highest level to support the peace process in Somalia. Some IGAD member states like Ethiopia, Eritrea and Kenya have been accused of supporting some of the Somali warlords and supplying them with the weapons. 

Ethiopia signed a comprehensive agreement with Somalia, covering security cooperation, trade and investment, transport and port services, the official Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) reported. It was the first agreement to be signed with a neighboring country for the transitional government of Somalia, which operates from Jowhar, some 90 kilometers north of the capital Mogadishu as it was unable to operate from the capital for security reasons; HAN reporter said.

The Ethio-Somalia agreement was signed last month between Ethiopian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Tekeda Alemu and Somalia's Foreign Minister Abdulahi Ismael on the sidelines of a council of ministers meeting of member states of the Inter-Governmental Authority for Cooperation and Development (IGAD) in the Horn of Africa.  

Implementation of Sudanese Peace Accord benefits Ethiopia 

Djibouti (HAN) December 9, 2005 - The Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin said the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Accord in the Sudan is of great importance to Ethiopia as well as to the peace and security of the Horn of Africa and Greater lakes. 

Mesfin held talks with A team of senior Sudanese government officials led by First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit concerning bilateral cooperation between Ethiopia and southern Sudan. After talks with first vice president and president of southern Sudan, Seyoum told journalists that the Comprehensive Peace Accord being implemented in the Sudan benefits not only the people of the Sudan but also the region as a whole. The Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin said "the implication of the peace and development in the Sudan to Ethiopia and vice versa as well as to the Horn of Africa is profound."

The new federal Ethiopia, which played a considerable role in the peace process in the Sudan, is now working in two committees to ensure stability following the peace accord, along with the US, UN, EU and AU, is serving as a member in an international committee that oversees the implementation of the Peace Accord in the Sudan. Ethiopia is also member of a Ministerial Committee set up by the AU in relation to the Sudan. 

Ethiopia is contributing its share in the committee that sees to the implementation of the accord and exerts collective effort to the implementation. Ethio-Sudan Joint Commission Meeting is due to take place soon in Khartoum, Sudan.

German Diplomat Deplores Ethiopian Violence and Eritrea Crisis

Djibouti (HAN) December 9, 2005 - The German diplomat Stratchwitz served first as Director for Africa of her Government, and then Ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti. She gave her opinion in an interview at Langano with the Ethiopian media. She said street violence would not bring anything to the growth of democracy, adding all the parties should take dialogue as the only option to resolve differences. She appealed to political parties to ignore their differences and work for the development of the country.
The late German Ambassador to Ethiopia, Dr. Helga Stratchwitz said political parties should resolve their difference through peaceful means and that they should not engage in street acts. Democracy dwells in the parliament, not in the streets, the former Ambassador said, adding the opposition political parties should join parliament taking it as the only option

The late German Ambassador to Ethiopia comments on Ethiopia and Eritrean border war, She said the two countries should not have engaged in war in the first place leading to enormous loss of lives. She said, the two countries should resolve their problems through only dialogue.

She said the recent violence in the country has the threat of scaring tourists and investors away, and this would have a huge impact on national development. She said after her Ambassadorial tenure in Ethiopia, she decided to remain in the country at the Langano resort area which she described as calm and beautiful.

The Ethiopian Melez with Sudan's Special Advisor and Nigerian Chief of Defense Staff

Djibouti (HAN) December 9, 2005 - Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said the efforts launched to ensure sustainable peace in the Sudan have registered satisfactory results. Prime Minister Meles made the remark while receiving a message from Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir here on Wednesday. Conferring with President Al Bashir's Special Advisor, Ghazi Slah El-Bin in his office, Prime Minister Meles said encouraging results have been witnessed from the ongoing efforts towards ensuring sustainable peace in the Sudan. Meles said the Inter-Sudanese peace talks aimed at bringing about sustainable peace in southern Sudan are also promising. 

Prime Minister Meles also discussed with Dr. Ghazi on the overall current affairs in the Sudan, according to a senior Ethiopian government official who attended the discussion. President Al Bashir through his message invited Prime Minister Meles to attend the AU Summit due to be held at the end of next month in the Sudan, the official said, adding Prime Minister Meles has accepted the invitation and assured the special advisor that he would take part in the Summit. After the talks, Dr. Ghazi told journalists that the Comprehensive Peace Accord signed by the Sudanese government and opposition forces is being implemented.

The Special Advisor said various activities aimed at creating favorable condition for the implementation of the comprehensive peace accord are also being underway. Similarly, Dr. Ghazi said, efforts are being exerted and peace talks have also been carried out in a bid to peacefully resolve the Darfur crisis. He also indicated discussions were held between him and Prime Minister Meles on the existing Ethio-Sudan cooperation which, he said, has significant importance for the people of the two countries.

Nigerian Chief of Defense Staff, General Ao Ogumodia: Meanwhile, Prime Minister Meles also held talks with Nigerian Chief of Defense Staff, General Ao Ogumodia on cooperation's between the two countries. Prime Minister Meles said the existing cooperation between Ethiopia and Nigeria is in good shape, and expressed Ethiopia's readiness to further enhance its cooperation with Nigeria.

After talks with PM Meles, General Ogumodia told journalists that he paid a visit to Ethiopia while returning home after visiting the Nigerian peace keeping contingent in Darfur. He also said that he discussed with Prime Minister Meles on the bilateral cooperation between Ethiopia and Nigeria. He added the longstanding relation between Ethiopia and Nigeria is in good shape presently. General Ogumodia indicated that he will hold discussions with Ethiopian Defense Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Samora Yenus on military cooperation between the two countries.

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